


A Very Choni Holiday

by chloebeale



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Holidays, Thanksgiving, rating based on language only
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 10:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16742269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chloebeale/pseuds/chloebeale
Summary: Toni doesn't have the fondest memories of the holidays, but Cheryl's enthusiasm for All Things Christmas is contagious.  It’s the first of November when it begins...ORA (mostly fluffy) holiday fic with Choni celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years together.





	1. The First Day of Christmas

Toni doesn't have the fondest memories of the holidays, but Cheryl's enthusiasm for All Things Christmas is contagious. It’s the first of November when it begins—a string of lights carefully draped along the banister, carols being hummed softly as gentle fingers work at getting the configuration just right.

 

She wipes the sleep from her eyes in a state of confusion at the sight of her girlfriend decorating for a holiday that remains more than a month away. Halloween has _just_ ended, for fuck’s sake. It isn’t even winter yet.

           

“Cher?” She calls out uncertainly, clutching the silken robe she’d borrowed from Cheryl’s chest of drawers against her body.

 

“Yes?” The redhead chirps after plugging in the string of lights, glancing proudly at the sparkling sight before meeting Toni’s judgmental gaze. “It’s November 1st, TT. Every year on this day, I decorate the house for the holidays. It’s a tradition. I was thinking that since you’re living here at Thistlehouse with me now, that you might want to help?”

 

“Don’t you think, I don’t know, it’s a little _early_ for all this?” She gestures to the boxes stacked near the bottom of the stairs, the cardboard marked as _‘Christmas decorations’_ in Cheryl’s elegant script. Toni doesn’t want to offend her, but it just seems a bit much to her, especially in _November._

 

Cheryl’s hands move to her hips and she can tell she’s about to get a firm talking to. She has that familiar glint in her eyes that Toni recognizes from lectures she’s received before. It never fails to amuse her. Silently, she waits, curious as to how her girlfriend will defend herself.

 

“Au contraire, ma chérie _._ If anything, it’s a little late. Haven’t you heard of Christmas in July?” She laughs in a musical tone, ascending the stairs and approaching Toni with a confident smirk. “I have something for you,” she adds.

 

“A present?” Toni asks hopefully, though she’s yet to have the no-gifts conversation with Cheryl. She didn’t think she’d have to this early. Still, she does like surprises…

 

Cheryl nods, holding something behind her back. “But you only get the present if you agree to help me decorate.”

 

“Okay, okay. If it means this much to you, fine. I’ll help.” As if she’d ever had a chance. She never can seem to say no to Cheryl about anything. She can be such a brat sometimes, but who is she kidding—she _loves_ that about her.

 

“Good.” Her smile is brighter than the Christmas lights as she reveals what she’s been hiding. Toni makes a face. It’s not what she expects, and her disappointment doesn't go unnoticed. “C’mon, baby. Put it on.”

 

She lets out an exasperated sigh, slipping the festive hat on top of her bed head. “I can’t believe you.” She groans as Cheryl coos and leans in to peck her lips teasingly.

 

“As if you’re not the cutest elf the North Pole has ever seen.” Toni reaches up to rip the beanie off of her head, but Cheryl grabs her hand before she can. “If you’re going to be decorating with me, then you need to get into the holiday spirit. Don’t be such a Grinch. Come downstairs, my love. I’ll make us some hot cocoa so that we can warm ourselves up before we get to work.”

 

“Bah Humbug.” The brunette falters, asking after a moment, “Will there be marshmallows?”

 

“Yes, and there could be _extra_ marshmallows in it for you if you behave.” Cheryl giggles, taking her girlfriend’s hand and pulling her down the staircase. Her offer is enticing, and Toni allows her to take control, knowing she’ll take it back from Cheryl when they’re snuggled upstairs again. “It’s chillier than I anticipated. It might be time to turn up the heat.”

 

She smirks at that, seeing it as a euphemism and taking a chance to slip her arms around Cheryl’s waist. Her lips find her neck, kissing her pulse point and finding that her girlfriend’s resulting moan sends a jolt of electricity throughout her body.

 

“This hot enough for you?” Toni murmurs, nipping gently at the sensitive skin closest to her mouth. Cheryl whimpers as she’s pressed against the kitchen cabinet, predictably a mess in response to her girlfriend’s heady display of dominance.

 

“Not now, Toni. I—need to focus.” She takes a shaky breath and peels herself away. Still very much affected by her presence, she quietly makes each of them a mug of hot chocolate and takes a moment to put twice as many marshmallows in Toni’s. Once she’s finished, she turns to her girlfriend to explain why she’s being so forceful about this.

 

“This Christmas means a lot to me. It’s my first Christmas here at Thistlehouse, and it also happens to be the first time I have someone like you, that I…love.” She’s still not used to that word—love—it’s not a word her family used very often, and it still feels foreign in her mouth. “I know it might seem lame to you, but this time of year has always been magical to me. Last year was my first Christmas without JJ, and I couldn’t bear to celebrate it. It felt like maybe the magic was gone for me, but now that you’re here, I feel hopeful again. It’s like the Christmas magic has returned.” Cheryl feels self-conscious about what she’s just revealed, and Toni’s face softens as she leans in closer.

 

“I’m glad that I make you feel that way, babe. I just…I’m worried I’m going to disappoint you. Christmas wasn’t a huge thing for me as a kid, because we never had much money. And you know that I still don’t. I’d love to get you some extravagant gift, so I could show you how much I love you, but I don’t know that I can afford to.” Toni admits with a shrug. Though she doesn’t _have_ to pay bills living with Cheryl, she insists on contributing financially so as not to feel like a free-loader. She supposes she could save some money over the next month and a half, but she still won’t be capable of getting her girlfriend the kind of gift she really deserves.

 

Cheryl frowns then, her hands moving to rest on the other girl’s waist. “I don’t care about presents.” She firmly assures her. “Christmas isn’t about money. Christmas is about love. _That’s_ the magic. That’s why it was gone after I lost Jason, and why it’s back now that I have you. I don’t need an extravagant gift, baby. I just need you here with me. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” she mumbles noncommittally.

 

“Toni. Look at me,” she whispers, squeezing Toni’s hips and forcing her to stop averting her gaze. “I _love_ you, _Miss Topaz_ , and I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to spending the holidays with my honey.”

 

That earns a smile and a wrinkle of her nose. “I love you, too. Being here with you is so much better than anything I could have ever expected.” Toni reaches across the counter with a mischievous idea in mind. “One more thing,” she adds before depositing a smear of half-melted marshmallow at the end of Cheryl’s nose.

 

“Hey!” Cheryl protests, sticking out her tongue and trying to get the marshmallow off. This causes Toni to completely lose it, breaking out into giggles entirely uncharacteristic of her. If the Serpents could see her now, they would not let her hear the end of it. Wordlessly, she launches forward and licks her girlfriend’s nose, humming in approval at the taste. “You are so weird.” The redhead complains with feigned annoyance, and she only grins wider.

 

“You love it.”

 

Carrying their warm mugs into the entryway, the two of them sit at the bottom of the staircase, Toni beginning to sip on her hot cocoa as Cheryl puts on a Christmas playlist on her phone. A few seconds later and the music is blaring throughout the house courtesy of the new Bluetooth speakers Cheryl had recently installed in every room.

 

Looking satisfied, she drinks her cocoa and revels in the sensation of the warm liquid going down her throat, a warmth that blooms throughout her entire body. When she puts her mug down, she leans her head on Toni’s shoulder and sighs, realizing that for the first time in as long as she can remember, she feels content.

 

She just sits there for a moment, allowing herself to enjoy the sense of peace that Toni brings her. It’s hard to believe she’s come this far in only a year. Pressing a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek, she rises to her feet, scurrying toward the boxes bursting with Christmas decorations.

 

Her parents had always left it up to her and JJ to decorate, and every year they tried to top themselves, leading to their home looking like the Christmas spirit threw up everywhere. She loved decorating with her brother, and with how difficult losing him had been for her, she had made the conscious decision not to put up a single string of lights last year. It just didn’t feel right to do it without him.

 

But now, she’s confident that he’d want her to move on, and as much as she wishes he could’ve known Toni, she’s certain that he would love her. If he could reach out to her from the great beyond, her lovely brother would’ve encouraged her to keep celebrating and to embrace the love that their parents had always made her feel as if she didn’t deserve.

 

“All of these boxes and I don’t see a single Christmas tree.” Toni remarks when she meets Cheryl down in front of the boxes.

 

“The trees are much too large for a cardboard box. We keep them in the storage building. Don’t fret, they are being brought in later this afternoon.” She assures her. “Until then, we can put up the rest. There’s red tinsel and hundreds more lights. Wreaths for every door. I have never been allowed to do outdoor decorations, as my mother deemed them ‘tacky,’ but I’m thinking I might defy that rule this year since she’s no longer living here. What do you think?”

 

“Trees. As in, plural,” She clarifies incredulously. A Topaz Christmas doesn’t hold a candle to the kind of Christmas that Cheryl seems to want. It’s intimidating, but she wants to make her happy. She’ll do anything to earn a smile. That’s why Toni considers the suggestion, her face lighting up when she comes up with an idea. “What if we did one of those crazy light shows like you see on YouTube? With the lights and the music, the works. People would come all the way to Thistlehouse to see your display. That’s not tacky. That is _awesome_.”

 

“That is quite the idea. I’ll have to do some digging into my options. Have you seen the Great Christmas Light Fight? I want to do something like that.”

 

“…I haven’t, but I think I get the idea. The name pretty much says it all.”

 

With that, the two of them get to work in decking the halls, quite literally. The Christmas village alone takes an hour as Cheryl painstakingly aligns every building and puts each character in its place. When Toni puts Santa in front of the general store, Cheryl practically loses it on her—insisting he BELONGS in the town square. That’s when she lets her take over, and merely watches out of her corner of her eye as her fingers run along the shelves of the Blossom library.

 

Once every decoration is put up and each box is emptied, they collapse onto the couch together and put on a cheesy Hallmark Christmas film, which Cheryl insists are her favorite. They’re all the same, and they’re all so painfully straight. Toni crosses her arms and scowls, the sight of her expression causing Cheryl to sit up and quirk an eyebrow at her.  


“What’s wrong?”

 

“These movies. They’re all— _straight._ ” She points out with exasperation. “And they’re all white people. How many movies do they really need about a white guy and a white girl falling in love at Christmas? It’s so lame.”

 

Cheryl sighs, “Do you want to watch something else?”

 

“Yes,” Toni declares, relieved that her girlfriend’s open to the idea. “I was thinking maybe…Home Alone? Or Elf?”

 

“Whatever you want.”

 

“Are you mad?”

 

“Of course not. It’s just a movie. This is your home, too. I want you to feel comfortable watching what you want to watch.” It’s clear by Cheryl’s tone of voice that she means it. She’s never felt more grateful.

 

After stealing a kiss or two, Toni offers up another suggestion.

 

“Pop’s for dinner?”

 

Cheryl’s stomach growls in response and her face reddens. “I didn’t even realize how hungry I was. Pop’s sounds perfect.”

 

“Awesome. I’ll pop on over to Pop’s and get us a real holiday feast.” She grins moronically. “Extra cheese?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

Toni didn’t need to ask. She knows Cheryl’s order by heart.

 

“Love you.” She greedily pecks her lips again. She never can get enough of kissing Cheryl Blossom and she doesn’t care who knows it.

 

“Love you, too.”

 

They part ways for now, Toni snatching the keys to her girlfriend’s convertible on her way out the door. Cheryl heads up stairs to take a quick shower, getting changed and putting on a robe before she settles back onto the couch, the cushions still warm from where they’d been laying all night. She picks up the pillow that had been behind Toni’s head and gives it a sniff, smiling at the coconut scent of her shampoo, a special nourishing kind she buys that smells somehow even better than Cheryl’s own. It’s not like she’ll be gone long, but she’s grown used to having her here. Their relationship has only gotten stronger since Toni’s moved in, and every day it feels like they grow closer and fall more in love. She’s never been this happy or felt this loved.

 

“Should I grab some plates?” Toni asks the moment she enters, her voice muffled by the bag she’s carrying in her mouth. In her hands, more bags and a milkshake for each of them. It’s not a Pop’s meal without a shake.

 

“No need.”

 

She’d always thought someone like Cheryl would be fancy. In a way, she was, but she wasn’t above eating fast food out of brown paper bags. When Toni used to think about dinner at the Blossom house, she imagined fine china, the kind of dishes people usually saved for special occasions like those her nana had in the china hutch. She remembers her father teasing her about it, wondering if she was saving it just in case the Queen of England showed up on her doorstep. The thought makes her smile, even though losing her had been hard on her. Even harder on her grandpa.

 

“What are you smiling about?” Cheryl questions curiously as she pushes her straw into the Styrofoam cup.

 

“Nothing.” Toni’s still smiling. “I was just thinking about my nana. I think you would’ve liked her.”

 

“If she was anything like you, I know I would.” She takes a sip of her strawberry shake. “You haven’t talked about your family much…” Cheryl doesn’t want to pry, but she’s only met her girlfriend’s grandfather, and she’s curious about the rest of her family. “Are you going to visit them for the holidays?”

 

“I don’t know, maybe.” She answers with a mouth full of fries. “Would you come with me?”

 

As if Cheryl wants to spend time with her own family. She supposes she could invite herself to the festivities at Betty’s house, since they are technically family, but the thought of tagging along at the Topaz’s intrigues her more.

 

“I’d love nothing more.”

 

“Okay.” She nods, unwrapping her burger before glancing up at Cheryl. “Just so you know, my family isn’t the greatest. My dad will probably get drunk and pick a fight with my mom. Something will probably catch on fire, and we might end up eating Chinese food.”

 

“Still sounds better than my family.”

 

After finishing their meal, Toni grabs the remote intending to turn on one of the films they had discussed earlier, but Cheryl has other ideas. She knocks the remote out of her hand and before Toni can protest, she stands and drops her robe to the floor, revealing an outfit that takes her girlfriend by surprise. It was a short red dress with a fluffy white trim, very obviously inspired by none other than Santa Claus. For once in her life, Toni was speechless.

 

“You like?” Cheryl murmurs, sounding unusually self-conscious.

 

“I love. Come here.” Toni beckons for her, and her girlfriend obeys, moving to sit on her lap. “You’ve been wearing **this** dress all night…and you didn’t _say_ anything?”

 

“It was a surprise.” She shrugs shyly. “There’s a dance, too. Would you like to see it?”

 

“Shit, yeah. Baby, what did I do to deserve you, huh?”

 

She likes it when Cheryl’s face is flushed. Grinning, she observes as the redhead clambers from her lap and pushes a button on her phone. Mariah Carey’s most popular holiday tune plays from the speaker and she begins to dance. As always when her girlfriend dances, Toni can’t take her eyes off of her. At Vixens practice, that always gets her into trouble, but now in the privacy of _their_ home, she can stare all she wants.

 

She gulps, reaching out to grab her when she falters, and pulls her back onto her lap. She kisses her greedily, tasting strawberry on her lips as her hands splay across her back.

 

It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been together, she’ll never get used to this. She meant it when she asked what she’d done to deserve her. Toni still doesn’t feel like she does. Maybe she never will. But she feels damn lucky, and she’ll never take Cheryl Blossom for granted.

 

As Mariah Carey sings the words “all I want for Christmas is you,” Toni thinks, _that is exactly right._


	2. A Very Topaz Thanksgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Cheryl attends Thanksgiving at the Topaz's, she understands exactly why Toni doesn't talk about her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More cursing in this chapter & some hints about domestic violence. Just a warning.

It’s showtime. A Very Topaz Thanksgiving. She’s nervous as Cheryl pulls in to the driveway of her parents’ home. She’s not seen her parents in a while—they’re not exactly close. She had been raised by her uncle, partially due to a family rift between her father and grandfather.

 

Today, they’ll all be there, and it’s a recipe for disaster. She’s warned her girlfriend that she’s walking into a minefield, but Cheryl is stubborn. Toni’s only comfort lies in knowing how terrible the Blossom family is. At least she doesn’t have unrealistic expectations of what family is like.

 

Besides, she’s been wanting to introduce Cheryl to her Uncle Tony for months now. He calls her Tiny because the whole Tony/Toni thing can get confusing. She’s always hated the name Antoinette, so she’d taken the nickname in honor of her uncle, her favorite person on the planet, after her gramps, of course.

 

As they approach the door, Toni searches for her girlfriend’s hand, a source of comfort she finds she greatly needs in the moment. When her fingers slide comfortably between her own, her shoulders immediately relax, and she’s able to knock on the front door. She’s been Cheryl’s rock through everything, and now, it’s Cheryl’s turn to do the same for her. They make a hell of a team.

 

She’s greeted with a fond “TINY!” shouted from the living room couch, her Uncle Tony barreling toward her wearing his Southside Serpents jacket, likely to spite her parents. Toni’s face lights up as his muscular arms envelope both her and Cheryl in a hug.

 

“You must be my girl’s sweetheart. I’ve heard a lot about you during our weekly phone calls. I’m Tin—Toni’s uncle, Tony. At least I don’t have to worry about you forgetting my name.” Tony teases before releasing them from his embrace.

 

“It’s _so_ good to meet you, Tony.”

 

She can tell from Cheryl’s tone of voice that she means every word.

 

“Antoinette is that you?” A feminine voice in the kitchen calls out, the owner wiping her hands on her apron as she emerges to see for herself. “And you’ve brought a friend.”

 

“Girlfriend, actually.” Toni corrects as politely as she can manage, giving Cheryl’s hand a squeeze.

 

“Do you need any help in the kitchen, Mrs. Topaz?” Cheryl asks brightly, trying to be friendly.

 

Toni’s mother Lenora looks her over, as if trying to decide whether that would be appropriate. After a moment of hesitation, she agrees.

 

“I could use an extra set of hands. I was just about to make the succotash. My daughter is useless in the kitchen. I trust you’re more competent than she is.”

 

“She is. I’ll just chill in here and watch the game.” Toni mumbles, not liking the idea of being separated from her girlfriend when she needs her most.

 

“You sure?” Cheryl’s voice is low when she asks, and she nods.

 

Toni’s mother returns to the kitchen and Cheryl hesitates, fingers nervously finding the bottom of the other’s flannel shirt. She’s not used to showing affection in front of adults, but she knows that Toni could use a boost of confidence, so she leans in and gives her a gentle peck. When she pulls back, her cheeks are pleasantly pink.

 

“I’ll be right in there if you need me, okay?”

 

“I can handle my dad, Cher. It’s okay. Just—don’t let her get to you. She’s not going to be nice.”

 

“I’m used to it.”

 

The most heartbreaking response she can imagine. She wishes things could be better, that her family would embrace Cheryl with open arms, but it’s not that simple.

 

Toni thinks briefly about doing Thanksgiving at their place next year, and only inviting the people who support them. She grins at the thought of Nana Rose and her gramps sitting at the table together, before realizing she’s making assumptions.

 

Does she really think they’ll still be together in a year? No, she can’t go spiraling down this rabbit hole. Not now.

 

Dark eyes follow her girlfriend’s retreating back as she disappears into the kitchen, left to her own devices. She’s got no doubt that Cheryl can handle her mother, who’s like a docile kitten compared to Penelope Blossom.

 

“TOUCHDOWN!” Her father, who to no one’s surprise is wearing a Steelers jersey, bellows from the recliner. He’s yet to even acknowledge her presence, but he sure as hell is acknowledging the can of beer in his hand.

 

Toni had forgotten how shitty it felt to be here in her childhood home, her memory flooding with memories of broken mugs and the unforgettable sensation of glass particles digging into her soft feet. Her life has never been easy, but here, in this house—it was the hardest it had ever been. There’s a reason she left and never came back.

 

“Good to see you, kid.” Her uncle grunts from the couch, beckoning her to sit down next to him. Instead of beer, he’s drinking a coke. He’s twelve years sober, but even in his drinking days, he wasn’t nearly as bad as her father is now. “Your girl is beautiful, not that I’m surprised. You always did have good taste, like your uncle.” He chuckles. “Think she can hold her own in there with Lenora?”

 

“She’s a Blossom.”

_“Shit.”_

 

“She can handle anything.”

 

_“She’s the one…the girl who lost her brother, right? It was the dad that did it. Fuck, Tiny. That’s heavy. How’s she doing?”_

 

“Pretty good, if I have anything to do with it.”

 

Meanwhile, Cheryl is in the kitchen, wielding a knife and cutting up onions for the succotash. Honestly, she’s not sure what it is, but she’s afraid if she asks, Toni’s mother will think she’s an idiot. At least she has the knife if she tries anything. That thought is mostly in jest, but…well. You never know.

 

“So, how long have you and my daughter been…” Lenora can’t even bear to finish the sentence. It’s surprising to Cheryl to find that out-and-proud Toni Topaz has a homophobic mother. She didn’t expect that. It bothers her that her girlfriend had never told her this, but she’s a lot less inclined to share her feelings than Cheryl is.

 

“Toni and I have been dating for about a year. It’s gotten pretty serious. We live together.”

 

_“You live to—you’re in high school. You must be kidding.”_

“I assure you, I wouldn’t joke about that.” She pauses, her curiosity taking over when she asks, “When was the last time you spoke to Toni?” She can’t recall her girlfriend ever talking about her, let alone to her. Though she can see why.

 

_“Not sure. Finished with the onions?”_

 

“Yes.” Cheryl washes off the knife, wipes it dry and deposits it back into the block. She then follows by washing her hands, not wanting them to smell of onions when she holds Toni’s hand later. “What else shall I do?”

 

_“Shall? Who talks like that? Are you some kind of debutante?”_

 

She can feel her patience wearing thin. “No, ma’am. I just have an expansive vocabulary. Now, is there something else I can do to help you with dinner?”

 

_“Put the rolls in the oven.”_

 

“You’ve got it.”

 

_“You’re that Blossom girl, aren’t you?”_

 

“…. yes. I am.”

 

Toni’s mother chuckles with malice. “Oh, I know all about the Blossoms.” She eyes Cheryl appraisingly as she spaces the rolls out on the baking sheet. “Redheaded cousin-fuckers,” she mutters.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

_“Nothing.”_

 

She grimaces, biting her tongue from making an acidic comment like she usually would when someone insulted her. She needs to be on her best behavior today. “Okay, well, the rolls are in the oven, so I’m going to join Toni in the living room.”

 

With that, she walks off, unable to make conversation with the woman any longer. When she catches Toni’s eye, she gives her a small smile, and settles in beside of her on the couch. The moment she sits down, Toni’s father turns and looks at her.

 

“Who the hell is this?”

 

“This is my girlfriend, Cheryl.” She responds with a roll of her eyes. “Hi, by the way. I’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes.”

 

“The game was on. Hey, Lenora!” He shouts. “Dinner almost ready?”

 

“HOLD YOUR HORSES, TIMOTHY TOPAZ. IT’S DONE WHEN I SAY IT’S DONE.”

 

They sure yell a lot around here, Cheryl thinks, but she doesn’t vocalize it. It’s not like her family is much better.

 

“Where’s gramps?” Toni takes the moment to turn to her uncle again, having noticed her grandfather’s absence and growing concerned.

 

“Just taking a nap. No worries, he wouldn’t miss seeing his favorite girl. He hasn’t been feeling his best, but he’ll be alright. You know how stubborn he is.”

 

Cheryl frowns, pressing her hand into Toni’s knee. “Is he okay?”

 

“He’s just getting old, that’s all. It’s normal for your health to decline as you age. I have no doubt he’s going to be around for a long time. Have you met him, Cheryl?”

 

“Oh, yes. A few times,” she nods, “He is full of fascinating stories of Riverdale’s past.”

 

Tony agrees, “He’s much better company than Frick & Frack, I’ll tell you that.” His voice lowers again as he darkly looks at Cheryl. “Did her mother say anything to you we should know about?”

 

“Hm…maybe, but it’s okay. I’m used to it.”

 

“What’d she say?” He asks curiously, not surprised to hear that she’d insulted Cheryl the first chance she got. There was a reason he wasn’t fond of his brother’s wife.

 

“Some stuff about my family. She also wasn’t happy we’re living together.”

 

Toni’s eyes widen. “You _told_ her that? She thought I was still living with Tony!”

 

“It’s okay, Tiny. You’re eighteen now. She has no say in where you’re living. She says anything in front of me, I’ll tell her where to stick it.” He grins, nudging her. “Listen, kid. If they give you two any shit today, don’t hesitate to leave. You don’t have to put up with it. I was thinking you gals; gramps and I would meet up at the Wyrm later anyhow.”

 

Toni’s mother emerges from the kitchen looking ashen.

 

“What’s that smell?” Timothy complains loudly.

 

“The damn rolls. Burned.” She’s near tears over it.

 

Cheryl bites back a smile, as Toni’s prediction about something being burned came to fruition.

 

“It’s okay, mama,” Toni rises, “I can pick up some rolls at the store.”

 

“ _That Blossom girl_ didn’t set the timer.”

 

Cheryl looks stricken. “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry, Mrs. Topaz. I completely forgot.”

 

Toni glares at her mother, unappreciative of the way she’s treating her girlfriend.

 

“Her name is Cheryl.”

 

Without a word, she takes Cheryl’s hand and pulls her toward the door. She’s pretty sure everyone’s assuming she’s leaving and not coming back but she just needs a minute to cool off. She can tell it’s getting to Cheryl, though, and if it gets much worse, she’s going to heed her Uncle Tony’s advice.

 

Once they’re out in the open air, Toni turns to her girlfriend.

“You okay, babe?”

 

The redhead nods, leaning on to her shoulder. “The rolls burning is completely my fault. I want to make it up to your mother. Do you know which places are still open today?”

 

“Oh yeah. Most of them are. Can’t resist making money.” She rolls her eyes, pulling her arms around Cheryl and giving her a slow, soothing kiss. “Do you know how much I love you?”

 

“I do,” she hums, “But I never tire of hearing it.”

 

Tucking a strand of cherry hair behind the other girl’s ear, she smiles and guides them over to the car. Hopping into the driver’s seat, she turns the key in the ignition and listens with pride to the purring of the engine. Cheryl’s car has always been a beauty, but she’s managed to tune it up to perfection in recent months. She’s proud of her work.

 

“Are you up for heading to the Wyrm later with my uncle and my grandfather?” She asks as she slips the car into reverse, pulling out of the familiar driveway with ease.

 

“Absolutely. It would be nice to get to know them both better, sans distractions.”

 

“Cheryl Blossom, you have the patience of a saint.”

 

“All in the name of our love, baby,” she giggles from the passenger seat and reaches across the center console to steal Toni’s hand.

 

She’s gotten used to driving one-handed.

 

“I’ll only be a moment,” Cheryl declares once they’re parked in front of the South Side’s own grocery store. “Stay with the car, would you? I’d hate for it to get vandalized.”

 

Though on one hand she’s bothered by the comment, Toni also knows it’s true. The South Side is known for things like that and being here after living with Cheryl is jarring. She feels as if she’s seeing things from an entirely new perspective.

 

A peck of the lips and the other girl is gone, leaving Toni alone to ponder everything. Though her upbringing feels inherently different from Cheryl’s, it’s obvious that the only difference was money. Both have parents who don’t support who they are.

 

But they both have family members that do. She knows Cheryl is close to Nana Rose, a relationship similar to that with her gramps. It’s nice to know they aren’t entirely alone in the world. And, she thinks, if they ever did get married, that they’d have at least one family member there for each side.

 

 _You’re crazy, Toni, thinking about marriage,_ she scolds herself. What’s become apparent to her is that Cheryl has become her family, and her parents couldn’t be further from it.

 

She’s confident her relationship with Cheryl is more functional than her parents’ marriage has ever been. She feels a gnawing at the pit of her stomach when she remembers the things she’s witnessed—purple bruises marring her mother’s perfect skin, her father ramming his head into the wall over and over, the two of them having shouting matches about her failing grades in elementary school. But for every awful thing, she recalls an amazing one. Falling asleep on the couch watching lame movies with her uncle, her grandfather’s hand in hers, her late grandmother’s authentic Uktena recipes, her pride when she got rid of the training wheels on her bike, the first time she rode on the back of Tony’s motorcycle, receiving her very own Serpents jacket, playing on the playground with Fangs and Sweetpea. The good outweighs the bad. Always.

 

She’s so lost in thoughts and memories that she doesn’t realize Cheryl’s returned, the sound of the car door making her jump.

 

“It’s just me,” her girlfriend murmurs, pulling something out of the shopping bag. “I got your mother some flowers. Is that okay?”

 

“You really want her to like you, don’t you?” Toni asks with a smile.

 

_“It would be nice.”_

 

“She’d have to like me, first.”

 

_“I’m sure she does. She’s your mother. She must love you, even if she’s not good at showing it.”_

 

“What, like your mom?”

 

_“It’s true, I hate her, but I know, on some level, that she loves me.”_

 

Toni’s face softens, and she nods. “Yeah, I guess. But love doesn’t erase all the shit she’s done.”

 

_“I agree.”_

 

“You’re my family now,” she declares, before her face flushes. Toni wants to explain what she means by that, but she can’t find the words.

 

Luckily, Cheryl seems to understand.

 

“And you’re mine,” she agrees.

 

They dread returning to the Topaz home, as they expect the rest of the day to go just as badly as it has. Much to Toni’s surprise, Cheryl’s flowers seem to work on her mother. She at least stops calling her that Blossom girl, which is progress in her eyes.

 

Once the food is done, the family comes together at the old oak table, the one Toni remembers used to belong to her grandmother. As her father pushes her gramps up to the end of the table, she catches his eye and smiles.

 

Her family doesn’t talk much when they eat. It’s not for lack of trying on Cheryl’s part. They aren’t being rude, they’re just hungry, and when they do respond, they speak with mouths full of food. Things seem...almost normal.

 

“The flowers are beautiful, Cheryl. Thank you, again.”

 

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Topaz. I’m pleased you like them. Thank you for inviting me into your home.”

 

“That’s all well and good,” Toni’s father declares gruffly. “But we know who your family is, Miss Blossom. Your family slaughtered ours in the name of greed and maple syrup. That is something _none_ of us will ever forget.”

 

“Speak for yourself, you fat fuck,” Tony interrupts, stepping forward as if to challenge his brother. “Cheryl is not responsible for her family’s misdeeds. It is unfair of you to put that on her. She’s just a child.”

 

The two men are in each other’s faces and the tension is high as they shove one another, a moment away from a full-on fist fight.

 

It’s Thomas Topaz who stops his boys in their tracks, pulling his wheelchair forcefully in between them and acting as a barrier as he talks sense into his younger son.

 

“Tony, it’s time to leave,” his voice is stern as he continues, “It is true, the Blossom family is partially responsible for the slaughter of the Uktena. But this is the past. I hold no ill will toward Cheryl because of her family, and neither should you. If you had bothered to ask, you would have discovered how Cheryl has stood up to the Blossoms, and how her family has mistreated her over the years. She is a Blossom only in name. She’s not infected with their darkness. I will not tolerate disrespect toward this girl, and if I hear another word of this, I will no longer come to this home. Do you understand me? Lenora? Timothy?”

 

“Yes, sir,” they answer, sounding like children.

 

Once the four of them are out of the house, Cheryl stops Thomas with tears in her eyes. She’s visibly overwhelmed by his speech, not expecting him to stand up for her.

 

“Mr. Topaz, I just want to thank you for what you said in there. It meant a lot to me.”

 

He smiles, reaching for her hand and squeezing it in his own.

 

“I’ll never fail to stand up for injustice, even from the likes of my own son. I am ashamed of his behavior today, and the way that I heard his wife treated you. I apologize, Cheryl, and I hope you know you are always welcome in the Topaz family,” The corner of his eyes crinkle as his smile widens. “And call me gramps.”


End file.
